Tuesday, October 4, 2016

At some point or another, we have all heard somebody more responsible than us utter the familiar phrase, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt!” Well, in the case of the new Pokémon Go app, that seems to literally be the case. Even though the game was released over two weeks ago, the Pokémon Go craze shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The concept seems simple enough and the creator company has found tremendous success by combining the virtual game world with reality. The app’s official website touts that, “With Pokémon GO, you’ll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO . . . will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.”Avoid Being Distracted While Searching

It is the searching “far and wide” part that has caused trouble for some players. One player was stabbed in Forest Grove, Oregon while searching for a Pokémon (and continued to play after being stabbed). A crowd of stampeding players descended upon Central Park in New York when one of the game’s rare creatures suddenly appeared on mobile screens. Several people across the country have gotten into car accidents because they were looking at their phones instead of where they were going. Several kids have fallen off of skateboards, bikes and into ditches in their quest for creatures. Some players literally have fallen off cliffs. And this is just a sampling of what has been going on.

These crazy things are happening right here in New Hampshire in cities like Nashua and Manchester. On a scorching Friday afternoon, players can be seen walking down the sidewalks gripping their phones tightly with their eyes glued to the screens.

Play Responsibly and Beware of Other Players

Tips for playing the game safely are pretty straightforward: Parents, make sure you know what your kids are doing and where they are going; Kids, play the game with a buddy or in groups and do not venture out by yourself; Do not attempt to drive a car, ride a bike or a skateboard while playing the game; Watch where you are walking; Do not go places you would not normally go if you were not playing the game; Check in regularly with your parents or friends; and Refrain from trespassing on people’s property!

With respect to legal issues . . . be aware that injuring someone while you are playing the game is very likely negligence and could easily result in a lawsuit. Telling the officer that you didn’t see that girl in the crosswalk because you were playing Pokémon is not going to go over well at all. Distracted driving is a serious matter than can land you in a world of trouble.